Apparatus for distributing loose material



m W. Wim 3%871311 APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LQOSE MATERIAL Filed June 1, 19s? INVENTOR WALTER WIRZ ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,487,911 APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LOOSE MATERIAL Walter Wirz, Thalwil, Switzerland, assignor to Fred Fahrui, Zurich, Switzerland Filed June 1, 1967, Ser. No. 642,845 Claims priority, application Switzerland, June 2, 1966, 8,010/ 66 Int. Cl. B65g 47/82 US. Cl. 198-403 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention pertain to an apparatus for distributing loose material, which apparatus is mounted on a shaft so that it can rotate, for example, at a uniform speed.

The apparatuses and methods presently available are not suitable for a satisfactory uniform distribution of relatively small particles, such as, wood fibers and short wood chips.

This invention solves the problem of obtaining a total dissolution or dispersion of the more or less felted particles, and of improving the uniformity of the distribution of the particles onto a particle supporting or con veying means. In addition, the distribution is effected in such a way that the particles are laid flat or horizontally,-

and are not superposed obliquly as, for example, in the manner of uprising roof tiles.

According to the present invention this problem is solved by a driven rotating hollow cylinder arranged above the particle support, and whose surface jacket is provided with openings adapted to permit passage of the material which is to be distributed. Furthermore, a feeding device is provided which is so arranged above the hollow cylinder that at least the major part of the material supply can arrive on the support only after having passed at least twice through the jacket or outer surface of the hollow cylinder.

Depending on the type of material to be loosened, the jacket of the hollow cylinder will be provided with larger or smaller openings. These can be round, oval or rectangular. Certain scattering eifects can be achieved -by suitable geometric arrangement of oblong openings. Tests have proved the suitability of a jacket formed of spaced bars, arranged side by side in parallel. Important for obtaining the desired efiects is the double passage of the material supply through the jacket, that is, the mate rial should traverse the perforated jacket once from the outside to the inside, and then from the inside to the outside.

The attached drawing illustrates several embodiments of the invention as follows:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic side view of the invention when used for felted particles.

FIG. 2 is a modified apparatus showing a particle accelerating wheel to more efliciently loosen and distribute the particles.

3,487,911 Patented Jan. 6, 1970 FIG. 3 shows a further modification in which a double accelerating device is provided on each side of the stream of particles.

Referring in detail to FIG. 1, numeral 1 designates a conveyor belt moving in the direction of the arrow A and mounted on a drum or roll 2 secured on shaft 3. The material fed in the direction of arrow B on shaking trough 4 vibrating according to arrow C, is deposited in a uniform mass, mat, layer, or fleece 16.

The material supply is loosened and is distributed by a cylinder of the above described type. This cylinder, represented by a sectional view as in FIG. 1, turns in the direction of arrow D. It consists of two end discs 5 (otherwise used to indicate the entire cylinder), two axial sections or supporting axles 6 flanged on or otherwise secured to these discs on the outside of the cylinder. A number of relatively smooth, non-ripping bars 7 are arranged parallel to the axis of rotation of the cylinder, and are sufiiciently spaced from each other so as not to hinder the passage of the loose material.

The plane of the shaking trough 4 is so staggered with respect to the axis of rotation of the hollow cylinder that practically all the material particles supplied are forced to enter into the interior of the cylinder. The quality of the distribution is thus extremely high, and the particle mat or fleeces can be produced with a uniform density throughout their entire thickness and width. The width of the mat or fleeces 16 thus produced corresponds to the length of the bars 7.

Other improvements can be obtained, for example, by imparting to the perforated cylinder an additional vibratory movement. Besides, the bars 7 can be given a different direction, and/or additional bars, etc., could be arranged inside the cylinder to form a double or triple series of bars. Finally, it is also possible to arrange two complete cylinders of the above described type, preferably rotating in opposite direction, concentrically to each other. In other words, a similar but smaller cylinder could rotate inside the cylinder 5 in the same or in an opposite direction.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, the hollow cylinder 5 to 7, the conveyor belt 1, the mounting elements 2 and 3 of the latter, and the mat or fleece 16 are unchanged, and are designated with the same reference numbers as in FIG. 1. The feeding device, however, consists of a conveyor belt 8 mounted on roller 9 secured on shaft 10. On this conveyor belt is fed a measured quantity, i.e., a pre-dosed mat or fleece 15. In the range of the return or deflection point, the material 15 is engaged by a toothed roll 11, mounted on shaft 12, rotating at a relatively high speed and is accelerated and is thrown against the hollow cylinder 5 to be effectively loosened and distributed in the above described manner.

The third embodiment according to FIG. 3 differs from that of FIG. 2 in that the toothed roll 11 is replaced by two cooperating toothed rolls 13 which are arranged slightly lower, rotate in opposite directions, and are carried by shafts 14. Preferably, both the speed of the hollow cylinder 5 and the speed of the toothed rolls 13 (similarly tooth roll 11 in relation to cylinder 5) are infinitely variable, independent of each other, in order to obtain the desired scatter effect.

Normally the speed of the toothed rolls 13 will be selected much higher than that of the hollow cylinder 5. The acceleration of the material particles shortly before they impinge on the hollow cylinder yields particularly effective results in breaking up interlocked or consolidated masses and in providing uniform distribution over the entire mat or fleece width.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are definedas follows:

1. Apparatus for distributing loose material compris ing a support, a driven rotating hollow cylinder arranged above the support, said hollow cylinder having a relatively smooth, non-ripping outer surface provided with openings adapted to permit the passage of the material to be distributed without substantially distorting said material, and a feeding device which is so constructed and arranged above said hollow cylinder that at least the major part of the material supply can arrive on the sup-: port only after having traversed twice the outer surface of said cylinder.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the hollow cylinder rotates at a uniform speed and the axis of rotation of the cylinder is arranged perpendicularly to the direction of motion of a support moving linearly at a uniform speed.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer surface of said cylinder is a jacket which forms a screen.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer surface of said cylinder consists of a. jacket formed of spaced bars, arranged side by side in parallel.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by accelerating means which throw the material at high velocity against the outer surface of the cylinder.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the accelerating means consist of at least one toothed roll.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the accelerating means have two juxtaposed toothed rolls rotating in opposite direction.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 for supplying wood particles, characterized by a horizontally arranged conveyor belt supplying a measured pre-dosed quantity of wood particles to said juxtaposed toothed rolls and ending its travel at a point substantially perpendicular above one of said rolls so as to permit the wood particles to fall by gravity to said juxtaposed rolls, said rolls operating at a high speed whereby the teeth thereon will accelerate the wood particles and-throw them against the openings in said hollow cylinder, said rolls operating at a speed substantially higher than the speed of said hollow cylinder, the outer surface of said hollow cylinder being covered with spaced apart parallel bars to break up any consolidated mass of material, and a belt conveyor beneath said hollow cylinder to receive said material in a uniform evenly arranged mat of particles of uniform density throughout the entire depth of the mat and the entire width of said last mentioned belt conveyor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner DONALD G. KELLY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 222410; 241188 

